Machine for incising plug-tobacco.



1-, PETERSON. MACHINE FOR INCISING PLUG TOBACCO,

APPLICATION FILEB NOV-11. 192 6- ]Pamnted Dec. 4, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

33:1 W mg, a

J. PETERSON.

MACHINE FOR INCISING PLUG TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. H. 19l6- Patenfwd Dem 4:, 1191112.

3 SWEETS-SHEET 2- Ma /w /MM W61" J. PETERSON.

MACHINE FOR INCISING PLUG TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. n. l9l6- Patented D60. 4, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- 13 elite anew JONATHAN PETERSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR INCISING PLUG-TOBACCO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4t, 191% Application filed November 11, 1916. Serial No. 130,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JONATHAN PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Incising Plug-Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for slitting or incising plug tobacco.

In my Patent No. 1,217,496, dated February 27, 1917, I have shown and described an economical and convenient form of tobacco plug which also possesses manifest features of advantages from a sanitary standpoint. Such a plug of tobacco is divided into small sections or portions of a size suitable for chewing, for instance, by cutting or incising the plug from opposite sides or faces. However, a cut or incision on one sideof the plug terminates short of or does not meet an adjacent cut or incision in the opposite side of such plug, so that a web or unitary stratum results which extends throughout substantially the center or central plane of the plug and the various sections formed or marked out by the incisions will be united by this web. Thus the liability of a section or sections of the plug being accidentally disconnected or broken oil is obviated, While when the user desires a portion of the to bacco plug, it is only necessary, with the exercise of but very little force or effort, to

break or separate such piece from the remainder of the plug, the action of bending or breaking of course severing that portion of the web which unites the particular section to the plug.

The present invention pertains to a machine especially adapted for producing such an incised plug. One purpose of my invention is to provide a plug slitting or incising machine through the agency of which plugs of tobacco may be automatically, rapidly and accurately subdivided into sections or portions of predetermined size yet in such manner as to leave the sections connected by a unitary web or stratum of the tobacco in the manner aforesaid. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine wherein the plugs may be brought from a suitable source of sup- 7 ply and presented to the cutting mechanism to be slitted or incised, such plugs after the cutting operation being removed to a suitable point of discharge, the construction of the machine being such that the feeding and cutting operation proceeds continuously and consecutively on the plugs, thus enabling a great number of the plugs to be subdivided or incised in a relatively short space of time and with but a minimum of operating expense.

Furthermore, I propose to provide a ma chine which will operate upon plugs of Va rious or different thicknesses, in such manner that all of the plugs will have uniform strata or webs of uncut tobacco at the centers thereof. It is well known that plugs of tobacco vary more or less in thickness, but my machine is so constructed-that even though one plug is appreciably thicker than another plug, the uncut webs or strata at the centers of the plugs will always be uniform, that is to say, in every instance the thickness of the uncut tobacco at the center of the plug will be the same.

In the present instance I have shown one embodiment of my plug slitting or incising machine, where the plugs are simultaneously slit or incised in opposite faces but it will of course be understood that the machine may be operated as hereinafter described, to cut or incise but one face of the plug at a time, and furthermore, the machine may be operated to cut or incise the plugs in one direction, as in dividing the plug into striplike sections, or may be cut or incised in at least two directions as by cuts crossing each other at angles to divide the plug into blocklike sections.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a plug slitting or incising machine embodying my invention, certain positions of the operating parts being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal sectional view of the machine, the positions of certain of the operating parts at certain times being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4*4- of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation of the lower portion of the hopper and the adjacent part of the lower clamping member operating in conjunction therewith.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a plug of tobacco after it has been incised by my machine. i

Fig. 8 is a modified form of the machine showing a structure wherein the plug may be: incised first in one direction and then transferred toand incised in another direction at right angles to the first mentioned direction.

Fig. 9 is a. detail view partly in elevation and partly in section of so much of a modified form of the machine as is necessary to understand its construction and operation.

Before entering. into a detailed description of the invention, I will briefly state that in the form of the machine shown herein 1 provide a suitable frame upon which is mounted a magazine or hopper in which the plugs to be .slit or incised are stacked. These plugs are designed to be fed one'at a time, and consecutively, from the magazine to a plug clamping'and conveying device which operates to clamp the plugs and bring the same into cutting position relative to suitable cutters or knives and to carry such plugs to a suitable point'of discharge after the cutting or inoising operation has been accomplished, This clamping and conveyin g device embraces,,in the present instance two members which not only have relative movement toward each other to clamp and release the plugs, but also have a bodily reciprocating movement to feed the plugs toward, through and from the knives or cutters.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter A indicates the frame of the machine, which may be of any suitable or preferred character, and hasmounted thereon, preferably adjacent one end thereof, a magazine B in which the plugs of tobacco are stacked. While this magazine may be of any desired form, I have in the present instance shown it as substantially rectangular in cross section to conform to the 'usual shape of a plug of tobacco,'this magazine being open at one side and at the bottom to permit the ready insertion and removal of the plugs as will be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

Mountedon each side member of the frame A is a wear-rail 1 above which eX- tends a guard-rail 2, suitable blocks 3 securing each "pair of rails in spaced relation to 'form guideways' at for the purpose hereinafter described, there being of course two of these guldeways extending long1tudi- 1 nally, one at each side of the frame.

The plug clamping and conveying device .in the present instance comprises two members, arranged one above the other, the lower member being indicated as an entirety by the letter D, while the upper member is shown at E. Each of these members is made up of spaced parallel slats or bars connected together to constitute a grid-like structure. The lower bed or supporting member D comprises in the present instance a series of relatively short slats or bars 5, which are arranged between the outer, relatively long slats or bars 6, these long bars being arranged in pairs, one pair at each of the series of short bars. Each of the long bars is provided at one end with a head section 7 which forms a shoulder 8 in conjunction with the main portion of the bar, and the members of each pair of the long bars are connected at their head portions by means of strips or plates 9, which surmount the top edge portions of the heads.

Likewise, the upper member E of the plug clamping and conveying device comprises a series of spaced parallel slats or bars 10, which in the present instance are all of substantially the same length, and preferably approximately as long as the shorter bars of the lower member D. The bars of the lower member D are provided with depending bored cars 11 through which pass the transverse rods 12, which connect sueh bars in spaced relation, small collars 13 being interposed between adjacent bars to maintain the latter properly spaced, as will be readily understood. Likewise, the bars of the upper member E are connected in spaced relation by transverse rods 1 extending through upstanding cars 15 formed on the bars 10, small collars 13 serving to hold the bars 10 properly spaced. The clamping members D and E thus formed by the longitudinal bars and the transverse rods are connected together in the present instance by two pairs of links so that the members D and E will not only have relative move ment toward and from each other, but may be. bodily reciprocated as hereinafter described. The two pairs of links are shown at 1616 and 1717 respectively. The links 1G16 are arranged adjacent the delivery end of the machine and carry rollers 18 which lie in the adj aeent guideways formed by the wear-rails and the guardrails. The pair of links 17-17 are longer than'the links 1G-16 and arranged relatively adjacent the supply or receiving end of the machine and are likewise equipped with rollers 1919 lying in the adjacent guideways, 4c.

The upper ends of both pairs of links are connected with. the upper member E by the transverse rods 14- while the lower ends of such pairs of links are connected with the lower member D through the transverse rods 12, the ends of the rods ll: and 12 seating in bores in the respective links. The lower ends of the longer links 17 are further connected with each other through a transverse rod 20 and to the intermediate portion of the latter is loosely attached, as at 21, one end of the crank rod 22 the opposite end of which is fastened to the wrist pin 23 carried by a wheel or disk 24L which is mounted on a shaft 25 receiving power from the drive pulley 26. The lower ends of the longer links 17 are also connected with the lower ends of the shorter links 16 through a pair of chains 27.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings which we may regard as the position of the machine at the beginning of its operation, it will be noted that the members D and E are at their maximum degree of separation, or in non-plug clamping position, while the heads 7 of the bars 6 are projected outward beyond the hopper in such manner that the lowermost plug of tobacco in the hopper is permitted to rest upon the lower member D just forward of the shoulders 8 of the bars 6. It is to be noted that these shoulders are approximately one-half as high as the height or thickness of the plug of tobacco so that, as shown in said Fig. 6, when the lower clamping member D is in its depressed plug-receiving position the top edges of the heads 7 of the bars will strike about the central, longitudinal line of the plug. Furthermore, these heads 7 will in this position lie spaced from the bottom edge of the outer side wall of the hopper, and this wall is slightly longer than, or extends below, the bottom edge of, the opposite or inner side wall of the hopper. At this time the links 16 and 17 extend vertically or straight up and down and the chains 27 are taut, as indicated in Fig. 1. Now as the wheel 24 continues its movement in the direction of the arrow and from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the upper and lower clamping members D and E will be moved toward each other and at the same time relative longitudinal movement, on the principle of the parallel link motion will be imparted to the two members. This will result in the head sections 7 of the lower member D moving upward beneath the open bottom of the hopper and being simultaneously drawn forward, as shown in Fig. 3, thus closing off the bottom of the hopper and preventing the stack of plugs falling therefrom while withdrawing the lowermost plug from beneath the hopper. As the lower member D begins its travel in the direction of the delivery end of the machine, the plug which is thus withdrawn will be clamped between the two members D and E, as is shown in full lines in Fig. 3. As the wheel 2-1 continues to rotate from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and passes its upper central line and again approaches the position shown in Fig.

1, the two clamping members will be separated until the chains 27, which had slackened, again become taut, and the movement of the links 16 and 17 toward a vertical position being thus restrained the two clamping members will shift bodily and longitudinally of the frame of the machine toward the hopper, again assuming the position shown in Fig. 1. Of course the continned operation of the machine will cause a second plug to be deposited on the lower clamping member, as hereinafter described, and after several plugs have been so deposited in the operation of the machine shown herein, the first plug will have been carried into a position to be operated upon by the incising or cutting mechanism, such cutting or incising taking place when the two clamping members are in plug clamping relation, or drawn toward each other. as shown in Fig. 3.

As will be seen by reference to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 5, in the present machine I employ an upper cutting device and a lower cutting device between which the plugs of tobacco are adapted to be carried. The upper cutting device comprises a series of rotary cutting disks 42 loosely mounted upon a shaft 13 and held in spaced relation by suitable collars 44:. The shaft 4-3 is mounted in suitable bearing blocks 45 carried by the cutter frame l6 suitable adjusting members 47 being provided for adjusting the bearing blocks vertically in the frame. The cutting disks 42 in their rotation travel between, and consequently alternate with the bars 10 of the upper clamping member E. Likewise, the lower cutting device in the present instance comprises a set of rotary cutting disks 42 loosely mounted upon the shaft 43 and held in spaced relation by the collars 44, the ends of the shaft 43 being mounted in bearing blocks which are adjustable in the cutter frame 46a Suitable expansion springs 48 are interposed between the bearing blocks of the upper cutting device and the bearing blocks of the lower cutting device, and it will be further noted that the cutting disks .4-2 also rotate between and alternate with the bars of the lower clamping member D. The bearing blocks 45 for the shaft of the lower set of cutting disks may also be adjusted vertically by means of suitable adjusting members 47.

By so constructing and mounting the cutters it will be noted that the upper cutting disks are slightly offset to the lower cutting disks and that the two sets of cutters may be adjusted toward and from each other to regulate the depth of the cut, the springs interposed between the shaft bearings tensioning the two sets of cutters. Furthermore, if desired, by means of the adjusting members either set of the cutters may be lot" drawn or thrown out of operation, so that only one set of cutting devices will be used, and but one side of the plug incised.

Referring to the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be seen that as the plugs of tobacco clamped between the clamping members I) and E, as described, are drawn between the two sets of cutting disks, they will be cut or incised in long parallel lines by the freely turning cutting disks, the incisions being made in both sides of the plug. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 5, the cutting disks of one set are nearly but not quite in alinement with the cutting disks of the other set, and there fore, the opposed incisions will not quite fall in alinement. Neither will the incisions be cut sufiiciontly deep in the plug to meet the central line of the latter, or to completely sever the sections, but on the contrary a unitary web or uncut stratum of tobacco will be left at the center of the plug to unite the sections as before described.

After the plug has been scored or cut, the return movement of the crank rod will again separate the clamping members, releasing the plug so that the carriage can return for another charge. The movement of the plug is always forward, never backward, as the charge of the plug in the magazinc or hopper always fills the vacant space of the plug previously removed. One plug is dropped out each time the carriage is returned and on the next forward movement of the carriage it advances the plug dropped on the previous movement forward one space on the landing plate or platform 28, thus allowing this plug to occupy the space caused by the removal of a former plug. The landing plate or platform 28 is stationary with the frame of the machine,

while the pusher plate 29 is secured to the delivery end of the lower clamping member and reciprocates with the later, thus on its movement toward the delivery end of the machine pushing the plug from the receiving end to the delivery end of this platform 28.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, will be readily understood. It will be noted that the plugs are fed sequentially from the magazine or hopper onto the lower clamping member and clamped between the latter and the upper clamping member and in the reciprocating movement of the two clamping members are carried past the cutting device and incised, while held tightly by the clamping members, the incised plugs being subsequently delivered onto the landing plate or platform. It will further be noted that owing to the peculiar construction of the ,magazine orhopper, at its lower end, and

its relation to the portion of the lower clamping member working therebeneath, the plugs will always be slipped or removed one at a time from the hopper or magazine witl1- out the danger of the other plugs being permitted to escape, or to interfere with the operation of the machine, and at the same time on the retractive or return movement of the clamping members toward the hopper for the purpose of obtaining another charge, the plugs resting upon the lower clamping members cannot be moved backward or toward the hopper on such clamping member because such movement will be prevented by the bottom plug of tobacco in the hopper.

In Fig. 8 T have shown a. machine wherein a face or faces of a plug may be subdivided in two directions, as by incisions crossing each other at right angles instead of in merely one direction as in parallel incisions as has been described for the machine in Fig. 1. Referring to said Fig. 8, it will be seen that I provide a machine comprising two sections, shown at G and G, one of which is arranged at right angles to the other. These two sections are similar in construction and operation to the machine heretofore described for Fig. 1, but the section G is adapted to deliver the plugs incised thereby to the hopper or magazine H of the second section G, and by which latter cuts or incisions are made, in the present instance at right angles to the incisions made by the section G, so that the plug will appear as shown at P in Fig. 7. The crank shaft 30 of the section G is extended as shown in 31 and connected through the bevel gearing 82 with the crank shaft 38 of the section G, so that the two sections may be driven in unison from the belt pulley 26.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated still a further modified form of the machine, in this instance the plugs of tobacco being fed down through a supply chute S to the rotating cutters 34 arranged in spaced relation. On shafts mounted on suitable supports 36 are secured the segmental clamping members 87 which turning with the said shafts clamp the plugof tobacco as it passes down the supply chute S, the plug being gripped or clamped by these segmental members 87 during the slitting or incising operation which is performed by the cutting disks After bclng incised by these cutting disks the plug passes to a discharge chute T. A suitable latching member or catch L is employed to grip the plugs at stated times and to insure their proper feeding to the cutting disks without interference one from the other.

In the present instance I have shown and described herein certain forms of my invention which are merely illustrative of the principle embodied in the same, and I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to all the precise details of construction herein set forth by way of illustration, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for incising plugs of tobacco to provide plugs each having a plurality of integrally united sections, a series of cutters constructed to produce a plurality of spaced parallel incisions extending only partially through the thickness of the plug leaving adjacent sections between incisions united by a connecting web of the tobacco of the plug, a support for one face of the plug, spaced clamping means acting upon the opposite face of the plug adjacent the lines of incision, and means for effecting a relative movement between the support and clamping means whereby the plug will be clamped therebetween during incising operation by the cutters.

2. In a machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, a series of cutters constructed to produce a plurality of spaced parallel incisions extending partially through the thickness of the plug leaving adjacent incised sections united by a con necting Web of the tobacco of the plug, a support for one face of the plug, spaced clamping means acting upon the opposite face of the plug adjacent the lines of incision, and means for effecting a relative feeding movement between the cutters and clamping means whereby the incisions are produced during clamping action of the plug.

3. In a machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, cutters constructed and arranged to produce a plurality of spaced parallel incisions extending partially through the plug from opposite faces there-- of whereby the plug sections between the incisions remain united through the medium of an intermediate web of the tobacco of the plug, spaced clamping means acting upon opposite faces of the plug adjacent the lines of incision and means for effecting a relative feeding movement between the cutters and clamping means whereby the incisions are produced during clamping action of the plug.

4;. In a machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, opposed cutters constructed and arranged to produce a plurality of spaced parallel incisions extending partially through the plug from opposite faces thereof whereby the plug sections between the incisions remain united through the medium of an intermediate web of the tobacco of the plug, a support for one face of the plug, spaced clamping means acting upon the opposite face of the plug adjacent the lines of incision, and means for effecting a relative movement between the support and clamping means whereby the plugs will be clamped from opposite sides during incising operation by the cutters.

5. In a machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, the combination with a pair of bodily reciprocating relatively movable clamping members operative to alternately clamp and release a plug located therebetween, of cutting mechanism located adjacent said clamping members and constructed to incise the plug through a part only of its thickness while the plug is clamped between said members.

6. In a machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, the combination with a pair of bodily reciprocating clamping members connected together to move into and out of plug clamping relation, of rotating cutting mechanism mounted adjacent to the clamping members and constructed to operate upon'a plug of tobacco while the latter is held between the clamping members to provide a plurality of spaced incisions extending from a face of the plug partly through the thickness thereof.

7. I11 a machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, the combination with plug supporting means, of means for incising a face of the plug in one direction, and means for incising said face of the plug in another direction at an angle to the incisions made by the first mentioned means, said incising means operating to cut the plug through a part only of its thickness whereby the incised sections will be united one to the other through the medium of a web of the tobacco of the plug.

8. In a. machine for incising plug tobacco to provide plugs having integrally united sections, the combination with a frame, of cutting mechanism mounted on such frame and constructed to incise plugs fed thereto, a magazine located adjacent the frame in spaced relation thereto, a supporting member carried by the frame and adapted to receive plugs delivered one at a time from the magazine, and a clamping member operating in conjunction with the supporting member and adapted to feed the plugs to the cutting mechanism, and to clamp such plugs at opposite sides during the cutting operation.

9. A machine for incising plug tobacco to provide a plug having a plurality of integrally united sections, comprising a frame, a plurality of cutting devices arranged in positioned to produce parallel incisions in opposite faces of the plugs fed therebetween,

a magazine for the tobacco plugs mounted on the frame, a plurality of plug receiving and clamping members operative to embrace opposite faces of the plugs adjacent the lines of incision, and means for reciprocating 'saidmembers to advance and present the plugs-for incision by the cutting devices.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with cutting mechanism for incising a face of a plug, means for supporting and clamping the plug operative upon opposite faces thereof adjacent the linesof incision, and mechanism for moving the plug-supporting and clamping means bodily to feed the plug to and past the cutting mechanism and to deliver the plugto :a point of discharge.

,11. A machine for .lncising plug tobacco to provide-plugs each having a plurality of integrally united sections comprising opposed plug incising means constructed and arranged for cutting a series of incisions in opposite faces of the plug and which incisionsextend but part way through the body of the plug, a second opposed plug incising means for subsequently cutting a series of incisions in such faces of the plug at an angle to the first-mentioned series of incisions, said second series of incisions also extending but part Way through the body of the plug, and opposed clamping means asso- 35v ciated With each of said incising means for clamping the opposite faces of the. plugadjacent the lines of incision during the incising operations.

12. In a machine for incising plug tobacco, a frame, a plurality of rotating cutters arranged in sets, one set being disposed in spaced relation to the other with the cutters of each set arranged in parallelism, a magazine for the plugs of tobacco, a plurality of plug clamping members arranged one above theother, one of said members be- -ingadapted to receive the plugs from the magazine, and means for operating said ,members to move the latter bodily into position .to bring the plug to the cutters, to clamp the plug during the cutting operation.

13. A machine of theclass described, comprising a fume provided with guideways, cutters on the frame arranged in sets, one set being disposed above the other, a magazine for holding the plugs of tobacco, said magazine being mounted upon the frame in spaced relation to the cutters, plug feeding and clamping members comprising groups of plug-clamping bars arranged parallel and in spaced relation, transverse shafts connecting said bars, links connecting the free ends of the adjacent transverse shafts and rollers carried by the links and intermediate the ends thereof and movable in the guideways, a flexible element connecting the ends of certain of said links, and means operating in connection with certain of the elements for bodily reciprocating the plug clamping members, and for moving said members into and out of plug-clamping position at predetermined times.

14. A machine for incising plug tobacco comprising a frame, a magazine for the plugs of tobacco mounted above the frame, a lower plu supporting and feeding member mounted below the magazine and comprising a series of relatively long bars arranged in spaced relation, and transverse rods connecting said bars, certain of said bars having shoulders formed therein for contact with an edge of a plug of tobacco delivered from the magazine, a clamping member mounted above said supporting means and comprising a series of bars arranged in spaced relation and transverse rods connecting said bars, links connecting said clamping member with the supporting member, cuttlng mechanism adapted to incise a plug when resting upon the supporting member and held by the clamping member, means for bodily reciprocating the supporting member and the clamping member, a platform upon which the plugs are delivered after incision, and a pusher carried by the supporting member for pushing plugs delivered onto the platform.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JONATHAN PETERSON.

\Vitnesses: v

DAVID Ennnn'r Rina, ISAAC LYIMOLIE ELLIOTT.

Cjopieslof this patent may be, obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Iatents,

I Washington, D. G. 

